The present invention generally relates to vehicle seat covers and more particularly to a seat cover which is mounted to the headrest of a seat such that the cover can be used with vehicles equipped with seat mounted side-impact airbags.
Currently, there are a wide variety of covers for vehicle seats. Such covers are typically manufactured from wool, sheepskin or a synthetic material. The cover is fabricated to cover the front surface of the seat in order to protect the seat from damage and provide a luxurious surface for the occupant.
Typically, prior art seat covers are fastened to the seat through the use of straps which are extensible around the seatback and bottom portion of the seat. Alternatively, the seat cover may be fabricated in a sleeve-like configuration to be advanceable over the seat in order to retain the cover in place. Specifically, the cover is sewn together such that a pocket is formed in the top and/or bottom of the cover. The pocket is advanceable over the top and/or bottom of the seatback such that the cover fully or partially encapsulates the seat.
Vehicles are currently being equipped with side-impact airbags that protect occupants from injury sustained during collisions. The side-impact airbags can be mounted in the door, door frame or the seat itself. If the side-impact airbag is mounted in the seat, it is configured to inflate along the side of the seat nearest to the car door. The side-impact airbag projects forwardly from the side of the seat upon inflation to provide a cushion between the passenger and the car door during collisions.
Typically, prior art seat covers are secured to the seat such that the cover impedes the action of side-impact airbags mounted in the seat. The straps used to secure the seat cover to the seat wrap around the seat back at a location of the side-impact airbag. Therefore, the straps interfere with the inflation of the side-impact airbag that can lead to a potentially unsafe situation. Seat covers which are secured to the seatback through the use of a pocket that encases the top of the seat can also impede the inflation of side-impact airbags. The pocket covers a portion of the seatback where the airbag exits during inflation. Therefore, the side-impact airbag will not be able to inflate because it is impeded by the seat cover advanced thereover.
Some seat covers are fabricated with slits formed within the cover at the location of the side-impact airbag mounted within the seat. The slits allow the airbag to inflate through the seat cover despite the cover wrapping around the sides of the seat. However, if the slits are not large enough or not placed over the location of the airbags (e.g., when the cover shifts), then the cover will impede the immediate inflation of the seat mounted side-impact airbag.
The present invention addresses the deficiencies in the prior art seat covers by providing a cover that can be used with a seat containing side-impact airbags. Specifically, the present invention provides a seat cover that is mountable to a headrest such that the sides of the cover are clear of the sides of the seat such that the cover does not impede or interfere with the full deployment of the seat mounted side-impact airbag.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a seat cover configured to be attached to a vehicle seat. The vehicle seat has a backrest which defines a front surface and two sides, a bottom cushion which defines a top surface, and a headrest which is attached to the backrest via at least one support bar. Furthermore, the seat may include a side-impact airbag deployable from one of the sides of backrest. The cover comprises a backing having a bottom portion attachable to the bottom cushion so as to cover the top surface thereof and a top portion attachable solely to the support bar so as to cover the front surface of the backrest but not the sides thereof.
In order to attach the seat cover to the seat, the cover includes at least one top strap for facilitating attachment of the top portion to the support bar and at least one bottom strap for facilitating attachment of the bottom portion to the bottom cushion. Preferably, the present invention comprises a pair of bottom straps and further includes a pair of middle straps for facilitating attachment of the bottom portion to the bottom cushion. The vehicle may have two support bars and the cover will therefore have two top straps which are attachable to respective ones of the support bars. Preferably the straps are fabricated from an elastic material.
In order to attach the top strap to a respective support bar, a connector is attached to the top strap. The connector may be a strap fabricated from a hook and loop fastener material, a buckle, a hook and/or a ball and chain. Preferably, the backing of the seat cover is a wooly sheepskin material.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the seat cover will further include a stiffening member disposed about a periphery thereof. Typically, the stiffening member is inserted within a sleeve sewn into the periphery of the seat cover backing. The stiffening member supports the cover from falling into itself. Accordingly, the stiffening member is disposed about the periphery of the top portion of the backing. In the preferred embodiment, the sleeve is slightly longer than the length of the stiffening member. The stiffening member may be fabricated from a bendable wire such that the top portion of the seat cover may be contoured to the backrest of the seat.